The strongest earthquake in France since 2019 hits the western regions

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The strongest earthquake in France since 2019 hits the western regions. Representative image. Geo News / File

A strong and rare earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 struck several parts of western France on Friday evening. The Seismology Bureau described the quake as “very strong” and caused damage to buildings.

According to the transitional Minister of Ecology, Christophe Piceau, the earthquake was one of the most powerful ever recorded on the mainland.

The last earthquakes of similar strength occurred in France in the early 2000s, which made this event significant. The earthquake was recorded at 5.3 by the national seismological monitoring network, RENASS, while the French Central Seismological Bureau (BCSF) reported it at 5.8.

In the Deux-Sevres department, one person suffered minor injuries and was treated on site. The county reported a series of physical damage, including falling stones and cracks in the walls, particularly in the southwest of the county. In the neighboring province of Charente-Maritime, buildings were also cracked, and the power line was down, leaving 1,100 homes without power.

The effects of the earthquake were felt as far away as Rennes in the north and Bordeaux in the southwest. Witnesses described feeling shivering, and some expressed fear for their safety. Tours-based law student Leah Frank shared her experience with the apartment shaking while she was reading, which made her feel scared.

Earthquakes of this magnitude are rare in France, with the most recent occurring in 2019 in the southeastern department of Drome. The epicenter of this latest earthquake was located near the communes of Surgeres and Mauze-sur-le-Mignon, between La Rochelle and Niort.

The authorities have not yet reported any major damage to people or buildings. However, emergency services have been mobilized, and residents have been urged to remain calm and seek help only in real emergencies.

The earthquake not only caught the attention of French citizens, but also international attention. Reports on social media indicate that people in London felt the earthquake, albeit moderately. Some residents in various French cities, including Rennes, Limoges, Bordeaux, Le Mans, Angers, Poitiers, and Brittany, reported feeling tremors.

This earthquake is the strongest recorded in France since 2019, confirming its exceptional nature. Again in 2019, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake near Montélimar in the Drôme region caused extensive damage.

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